FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 2023 
CONTACT: Mindy Berman, mindyb@1199.org, 518-229-0486

Statement of George Gresham, President of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the largest union of healthcare workers in the United States:

“The Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate affirmative action in higher education is a direct attack on every Black and Brown community in our country. This unconscionable ruling threatens to unravel decades of progress in advancing equity in education and in our society at large.

"As a union of healthcare workers, predominantly people of color, we condemn this act in the strongest terms as an outright assault on our children’s futures.  

"Likewise, the blocking of President Biden’s student loan program will push countless young people into poverty and a life of perpetual and inescapable debt.

"Decisions like these—championed by the wealthy and powerful and a corrupted Supreme Court—are precisely why vast racial and class inequalities exist in our nation.

"Higher education institutions are pathways to positions of power in our country. Colleges and universities must recognize how essential racial equity and diversity are to a vibrant and inclusive society.  In the face of these decisions, we urge institutions to continue to bring down barriers to ensure that all of us – no matter what we look like or where we come from – can get ahead."